Periods: a topic most people shy away from talking about. But Amanda Laird is not most people. Talking about periods, reproductive health, abortion, miscarriage, infertility, menopause, etc. are her jam.

Sometimes I have long cycles. Like, really long. I’m talking the upwards of *75+ days long. They suck. The build-up of hormones leaves me in a perpetual state of waxing and waning PMS symptoms. It makes me feel helpless, especially when all I want to do is alleviate my discomfort.

A few weeks ago, my partner and I were up in the north woods of Minnesota enjoying a long weekend away. We spent our days out in nature. Hiking the hillsides, swimming in the lagoons of waterfalls, and enjoy vast views of the coniferous forests that stretched high above our heads. I was also on my period. Why is this relevant?

It's that time of year when days grow longer and the school year grows shorter. You can see the light at the end of the academic tunnel, but before you sashay your way across the finish line you have one more hurdle to tackle: finals.

I had my first panic attack in 2008. I remember thinking I was going to die right then and there. But I didn’t die. Instead, I ended up at urgent care where an over-worked PA shoved a prescription for Xanax in my face and sent me on my way.

Pelvic Exam. Possibly one of the most anxiety-riddled phrases known to the female-bodied population. It is a phrase that often evokes images of patients lying in a paper gown with their feet in stirrups while a doctor places a spotlight on their genitals and proceeds to poke around, for what seems like an eternity.

Menstruation. It's a word that still makes a lot of people squirm in their seats. Even though it is a physical phenomenon that happens to billions of people around the globe, it is still shrouded in secrecy, riddled with shame, and highly stigmatized.

As a sex educator, I spend a lot of time helping young people avoid pregnancy. Yay! Understanding the basics of birth control, reproductive health and sexual health are all great foundation blocks for helping you navigate your life.

Getting sick. It is one of those inevitable experiences in life. Some people get sick only a few times in their lives, while I, on the other hand, seem to get sick at the turn of every season. Well, guess what? ’Tis the season.

LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQIA…there have been a lot of variations of the LGBT+ acronym over the years - which seems to be a source of irritation for non-allies. But although the initials are *ever-changing and somewhat controversial among community members, it’s important to remember the purpose of the acronym

When it comes to protecting yourself from STIs, it is important to understand how they are transmitted. But just as important as preventing the spread of STIs, understanding signs and symptoms, knowing the long-term health implications, how to get tested, and how to treat them if the need should arise are also good things to know. Luckily, I’m going to be going over all of this for you.

When I was in 4th grade, I was handed this little pamphlet called “Your Body and You” – or was it “Your Changing Body and You”? Hmm. Either way, I remember being fascinated about the changes I was going to experience (even though at the time I had no true concept of what it meant).

Today is February 15, 2018, and to date, we have endured 18 school shootings in America. That equals a school shooting roughly every 60 hours. And we continue to do nothing about it. Our politicians offer generic platitudes to families of victims and survivors to assuage their own guilt, shrug, and go back to their lives.

“What is love?” is an age-old question that can be answered a million different ways. The meaning of love is shaped and defined by our experiences, our culture, our personal beliefs and our own wants, desires and motives. Personally, I define love in the doing, not the saying.

I am notoriously bad at maintaining relationships. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I'm an introvert. Maybe it's because I view my life in sections rather than one continuous journey. Either way, I have let a few too many close friendships fall away over the years, and it's kinda sad.

I spent four years researching, studying and writing papers about women’s health: disparities, practices, influences and stereotypes. And what I came to find through my studies is that we cannot move forward in solving women’s health issues if we still cannot discuss periods.